To Catch A Meara
by The Silver Feathered Raven
Summary: Oneshot. A young meara. A hotheaded young Eomer. The boy learns that stupidity has its price. Especially when your sister finds out.


A/N: I decided to play around with some characters that I haven't used before. I have to say, this piece was fun to write and I am very pleased with it. I hope that you all like it as well.

* * *

**To Catch a Meara**

By

The Silver Feathered Raven

"Your son," Theodred said, holding the young boy carefully in his arms, "is an idiot."

Theodwyn looked up from her embroidery at her nephew, and then down at her son. "What did you do this time, Eomer?" she asked with a sigh, setting the fabric that she had been working on down.

"Mother, I was just trying to—"

"He was trying to impress his friends, Aunt. He broke his leg in a stupid stunt. Where should I put him?"

Theodwyn rose, sighing again. "Come, Theodred. Let us bring him down to the healers. Eowyn, stay he—"

"I want to come too, Mama!" The little girl jumped up from where she had been sitting next to her mother. "Please?"

Theodwyn set a hand to her head. "Fine. But stay right beside me, do you understand?" Eowyn nodded, her golden hair bouncing around her head.

"I understand, Mama." The seven year old then looked up at her brother. "Does it hurt, Eomer? Your leg?"

Eomer put on a brave face. "No, it doesn—argh! Theodred!" His cousin smirked.

"Doesn't hurt, does it?"

"You didn't have to do that!"

"Theodred!" Theodwyn turned around, glaring at the young man. "Stop acting as though you are ten and follow me. Eowyn, come here and take my hand. Eomer…" She shook her head. "Explain to me what he did, Theodred."

Theodred followed alongside his aunt, carrying Eomer. "He decided to prove his 'manhood' by catching and riding one of the young mearas."

Theodwyn stopped still in her tracks. "He didn't. Eomer, did you try to do that?"

It looked as though Eomer was about to say something flippant but he quailed under his mother's gaze. "Yes, mother."

Theodwyn clamped her jaw shut, sealing in any harsh words.

"He caught the horse fine," continued Theodred. "At least, according to the young one, Eothain. Got a rope around its neck. But the riding…"

"Eomer fell of a horse?" asked Eowyn, looking up with big eyes. "He fell off?" Theodred nodded and Eowyn gave a little laugh of delight. "Eomer fell off a horse! Now he cannot tease me anymore!"

"It was a meara, not any dumb little pony!" said Eomer angrily. "So be quiet!"

"Eomer! Do not be so rude to your sister!" Theodwyn's voice was very sharp, causing Eomer to shrink back into Theodred's arms. She opened the door to the healers' room. "Theodred, set him down on that bed." She crossed her arms over her chest as Eomer was set upon the bed. "Now, which horse was it?"

"Mother…"

"Which horse, Eomer?"

Eomer mumbled something that none of them could hear. Except for Eowyn, who clapped her hands over her mouth.

"What was that, Eomer?"

"Firefoot," muttered Eomer. Eowyn danced around, delighting in her brother's obvious discomfort.

Theodwyn closed her eyes, her jaw clenched. "Eowyn, stop that. Eomer, what possessed you to try to ride one of direct descent of Felaróf? You could have been killed, even if he was a yearling. And for that matter, why did you try to ride a yearling? You have been raised around horses; do you not remember that you do not ride yearlings? Eomer, you could have killed yourself _and_ injured that horse! What were you thinking? Eowyn," she barked, "if you do not calm down I shall send you to your room, do you understand me?"

"Yes, mama," came the meek reply.

"Eomer, I am waiting."

The boy looked distinctly uncomfortable. Part of that, of course, was due to the fact that his leg was broken. He was trying as hard as possible not to show any pain. The other part of the discomfort was due to the fact that both his mother and his twenty-four year old cousin were staring down at him, making him feel as though he were a particularly repulsive orc. "I just—"

"My lady, what happened?" asked a healer, coming over to them. He looked down at Eomer with a mildly amused expression. "What has the young one done this time?"

"Broken his leg," supplied Eowyn, then hid her face in her mother's skirts to escape her mother's glare. "Well, it's true!" came the rest of her muffled words.

The healer shook his head. "Of course he did. My lady, I shall take a look at it, and then I shall set it."

Eomer's eyes widened slightly. "Set it? Will that—Mother, can you make Eowyn leave?"

Theodwyn looked down at her daughter, then up at her son. "No, Eomer. When you do something as stupid as trying to ride a yearling meara you have no right to sending your sister away. But Eowyn, you are currently acting incredibly rude. Give your brother a little respect."

"Yes, mama."

The healer had moved then, giving Eomer a wad of cloth. "Put this in your mouth, lad. We don't want you biting off your tongue."

"He could bite off his tongue?" asked Eowyn, who was immediately shushed by her mother.

"My lord, could you hold down his shoulders?" Theodred complied, holding Eomer down. The healer took hold of the boys leg and—

"Aaaaah!"

It was a muffled scream but a scream nonetheless. Eomer's eyes were watery as well and he quickly reached up, trying to wipe the moisture away before his sister could see and taunt him about it.

"Stupid horses," he muttered. "Stupid, stupid horses. Can't see why anyone likes them."

"Did Eomer just say that he doesn't like horses?"

"Eowyn!"

The healer was hiding his grin as he bound a brace to the boy's leg and Eomer could swear that his cousin was laughing.

"Stupid horses," he repeated, wincing as the healer tied a strip of cloth around his leg. "Eowyn, shut up."

…

"Eomer, what are you going to do?" asked Eowyn, lying in the grass beside him. It was midsummer, two years after he had broken his leg trying to ride Firefoot. He had been an idiot then. He still was an idiot, in many ways, but he _was_ going to ride that damn horse. And this time he wasn't going to break his leg.

"Shush, Eowyn." He wasn't happy that she had come along. He still remembered, to a certain extent, how she had laughed at him. The now nine-year-old had a smile playing across her face, though it wasn't as bright as it had been back then. "Look, the horses are coming near us. Don't move." He rose slowly to his feet, crouching in the tall summer grass.

"I thought you said—"

"I told _you_ not to move. _I_, however, will be moving." He straightened, moving forward slightly. "Stay here."

"Whatever you say, brother." Eowyn plucked at a blade of grass, twisting it between her fingers. "Go on. I know you have a grudge against that horse."

Eomer glanced at her, then walked towards the horses. There were five of them, two older ones, two foals, and then Firefoot. He smiled to himself, remembering how fast that horse had run. He would be a good horse, once he was tamed. Or not, he reminded himself. Firefoot would either let him ride or not.

As he moved closer the horse's ears went up and he looked towards the boy with bright eyes. The ears did not lay back and the whites of the eyes were not showing. That was good; Firefoot was not frightened or angry.

The others, however, were. The two older horses cantered away, their offspring following behind them.

Firefoot stayed still, looking at Eomer.

The boy did not move.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he edged towards the stallion, his arms outstretched. He had a soft rope halter hanging from his belt. If this worked he would use it. If not…

Firefoot stared at his hand for a moment, then bent his head, touching his nose to Eomer's hand.

"What is it?" he said softly, stroking the horse's nose. "Are you telling me that I can ride you?"

Firefoot wickered, stepping forward. Eomer ran his hand down the glossy hide, scratching the side of the horse's neck.

"I guess I _was_ just being an idiot last time, wasn't I?" he asked, bringing his other hand up and running it over the horse's back. "Yes, I am sure that I was an idiot. My sister can attest to that. So, can I ride you this time?"

The horse seemed to nod and Eomer took that as a yes. Worst thing that could happen was he got thrown again. He set both his hands of Firefoot's back and pulled himself up.

And so it was a very smug Eomer that rode back over to where Eowyn waited.

"See? Told you I could ride him."

Eowyn scowled and then sighed. She would just have to find something else to tease him about now.

Then she swallowed her pride.

"I am proud of you, my brother."

He just grinned.

* * *

A/N2: In the appendices of RotK it tells that Theodred was twenty four when Eomer and Eowyn's parents died. This is set that same year, so he would be that age.

Eomer and Eowyn were born four years apart, though I am sure that they were not born on the exact same day, so there would be a time when the gap would be smaller. That is why Eomer appears to be only three years older than Eowyn.

Review and tell me what you think,

Raven


End file.
